Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2001 22:05:06 -0500
From: Danni Bailey
Subject: No More Secrets - Chapter One
Disclaimer: No, it's not real. No I don't know them (any of them) and yes,
this story contains homosexual themes. If you are under legal age to read
this type of story, please do not continue. I know none of the members of
NSYNC personally and therefore I have no idea of their sexual preferences.
This is fantasy folks!
For all of you who have read "Decisions", I hope you enjoy this
next installment. You guys were so incredibly kind while I was writing it
that I hope this doesn't turn out to be a disappointment. If you haven't
read "Decisions", I wrote this first chapter for you. You kinda need it to
understand the rest of "No More Secrets."
Special thanks to Scor, for his technical expertise, ideas and
support and to Dennis for making such a wonderful CD cover for No More
Secrets. It's perfect.
Comments to dannibailey@hotmail.com I'd love to hear from you!
No More Secrets
CHAPTER ONE
Brian: Good evening. I'm Brian McFayden and welcome to E!. Tonight we are
going to be spending the full hour with what most people would consider to
be the entertainment industry's most influential couple. Their personal
lives and business endeavors have been hot topics for the past decade in
every publication from the Advocate, to Newsweek to Business Weekly.
Tonight you will hear about their decision to come out, their highly
successful businesses and their plans for the future. Later on they will
answer viewer questions that have been sent in via e-mail over the past
week. While it's probably unnecessary, allow me to introduce the two men
seated to my left. Justin Timberlake and Gary Martin. Welcome guys. Glad
you both could make it.
Gary: Nice to see you again, Brian
Justin: Yeah, thanks for having us.
Brian: Justin, you have been in the public eye for most of you life, but as
a couple you shot into the national if not worldwide spotlight after an
appearance on the Rosie O'Donnell show about 12 years ago, in which you
announced you were gay. Gary, take us back to that day. Tell us what it
was like for you.
Gary: It was mind-boggling. It caught the five of us totally off guard.
The album name had been under such a shroud of secrecy, but we never
imagined the reasoning behind it. I really thought it was a publicity
gimmick. Just more hype for the album's release.
Brian: So when did it hit you?
Gary: Honestly, not until Josh brought Danny up on stage. I mean, I could
see where it might be headed, but until that moment I wasn't sure.
Brian: Justin, you never discussed this with Gary ahead of time?
Justin: No, never. I knew if we discussed it he would try to talk me out
of it, but my mind was made up.
Brian: So Gary, you didn't want the relationship to become public?
Gary: I had no problem with going public, except for what I was afraid it
would do to NSYNC. I thought the negative public reaction would destroy
them. I've learned to expect the worse.
Brian: Justin, you took a huge risk.
Justin: We all did. It was a group decision. We just knew it was the
right thing to do. All of us had people in our lives that we loved. We
were tired of the faade. The time came where our personal lives were
more important to us than public opinion.
Brian: Let's talk about that public opinion. What was it like being the
first couple to publicly announce you were gay? You two opened the
floodgates.
Gary: First of all, there were others before us.
Justin: Yeah, we certainly weren't the first. Stephen Gately was out.
Ellen was out, and there were others.
Gary: I think people see us that way because NSYNC was so huge at the time.
No one expected the "hot teen idols" to burst the bubble of every young
girl's fantasy. Justin and Josh shocked everyone with their announcement.
That's why we're remembered.
Brian: How hard was it?
Justin: The first few weeks were awful.
Gary: Very difficult.
Justin: We heard every negative comment possible from, "You're gonna burn
in hell" to "what kind of role models are you for America's youth."
Gary: Yeah, no matter what was wrong in the world, us coming out was
somehow to blame. We were just two guys in love and people made it sound
like a matter of national security.
Brian: What about JC and Danny? They came out when you did, but the media
seemed to focus on the two of you.
Gary: Oh, they got their fair share, trust me.
Justin: I think the big difference was Danny. He was already openly gay.
Gary: And well liked.
Justin: Exactly, and rumors about the two of them had been circulating for
a while. They just confirmed what people had been speculating.
Gary: We dropped the bomb.
Brian: How did you get through it? and any regrets?
Justin: No, never!
Gary: We got through it by believing in ourselves and knowing that whatever
happened we, as a couple, would be fine. And no, I have no regrets.
Brian: What was it like being the "poster child" for the gay community?
Justin: Danny was upset. He thought he had a "lock" on it. Seriously
though, our intent was never to put ourselves in the limelight. The media
did that.
Gary: We knew it was bound to happen, and if by doing so things were easier
for those that came after us, that's great. But it was never part of some
grand plan. It just happened.
Brian: But you realize huge advances were made in the area of gay rights in
the days following your announcement?
Justin: I think you are giving us credit we don't deserve. I think it was
a matter of timing.
Gary: Yeah, things were headed in that direction anyway. With or without
us, changes were inevitable.
Brian: Let's take a break and when we return we'll talk about what happened
with NSYNC after that announcement.
Brian: So Justin, you guys make this announcement the day before the new
album is released. With that in mind, did you think that album would be as
big as it was?
Justin: Really, I don't think any of us knew what to expect. We were proud
of what we had done and thought that it was our best work yet, but we
realized that our image was a big part of our success.
Gary: The first few days were bad. Soundscan was showing virtually no
sales. It really looked like that album wasn't going to make it. It was
definitely a low point.
Brian: Did you feel responsible?
Gary: Danny and I both did. How could we not? All we could think about
was the fact that because they loved us, something they had worked their
entire lives for was slipping away. No one can imagine the sense of guilt
that consumed us.
Justin: That was probably the worse part. Seeing what it was doing to them
was really painful.
Brian: But the album took off.
Justin: Yeah, it did. The second week sales came close to what No Strings
did the first week out and it just never slowed down. We were blown away.
Brian: That was 12 years ago, and no other album to date has even gone
diamond that fast. About 3 months, right?
Justin: 13 weeks, but who's counting.
Brian: That's quite a record. Is that you're proudest career
accomplishment?
Justin: Not, really. Sales records were never that important to us. We
were grateful, and of course very proud, but nothing came close to the
Grammy.
Brian: Which one? There have been several.
Justin: Song of the year, for No More Secrets. It was our first award for
song writing and to have that particular song win the award was
overwhelming.
Gary: It was an incredible moment. Carson (Daly) presented the award which
made it even more special since we were all such good friends. As soon as
he opened the envelope, we knew the guys had won. He didn't have to say a
word.
Brian: But boy, did he!
Justin: Yeah, the place was totally silent when he opened the envelope and
then Carson looks right at us and blurts out "I'm so fucking proud of you
guys!" It was crazy.
Gary: You know it wasn't until later that night at the after party that we
all realized that he never actually announced the winners. That's all he
ever said and the place went nuts.
Brian: NSYNC spent a lot of time at the podium that night. Song of the
year, record of the year, best pop performance, best pop album and album of
the year. Not a bad night.
Justin: It was kinda embarrassing after a while.
Gary: You loved it!
Justin: Yeah, we did.
Brian: So how many total Grammys?
Justin: Umm, 3 for Strings, the 5 for No More Secrets, 3 for Celebrity and
3 for A Moment in Time. So 14 with NSYNC.
Brian: And individually?
Justin: Do we have to talk about this?
Gary: Individually there were 6 Grammys. He's one hell of a songwriter,
even if I am a bit biased.
Justin: I've been blessed, both personally and professionally. I'm a very
lucky man.
Brian: It's not all luck Justin. Your hard work has paid off.
Justin: Thank you.
Brian: I hate to do this, but we need to take another break. When we
return we'll hear more from Justin and Gary and talk about the business
side of the music industry's power couple.
Brian: Gary, let change the focus for a minute. You two have heavily
invested your time, energy and your money into several companies that the
two of you have started from the ground up. Tell us a bit about them.
Gary: Well, we've tried to stay with what we know best. Music and
technology. We weren't businessmen so we didn't want to take a chance with
something we weren't familiar with. That helped us in the long run.
Brian: Okay, lets go down the list. I'll name the company and you fill us
in.
Gary: Sure.
Brian: Marlake Productions, Inc.
Gary: That's our production company based in Orlando. We have 5 recording
studios and all the equipment to go from demo tape to finished product.
There is also a converted warehouse that is used for video shoots.
Brian: Okay, how about Marlake Entertainment Company.
Gary: That's basically what WEG was for NSYNC. We manage recording
artists; develop tours, set up appearances, handing merchandising and
oversee recording contracts.
Justin: We have a team of lawyers that reviews EVERY contract that our
artists sign. We don't want any of these kids putting their name on
anything that they don't fully understand or that isn't in their best
interest. We go to great lengths to make sure that doesn't happen.
Brian: You guys went down that road.
Justin: We did, but we learned a tremendous lesson. In the long run, it
was a plus.
Brian: What about the Orlando Magic?
Justin: That was my idea!
Brian: Somehow I knew that.
Gary: We are only partial owners. We don't have much to do with the day to
day operations. That was a futile attempt to get Justin interested in
business and owning a pro team was something he always wanted.
Justin: It'll never happen. I'm an idea guy. The paperwork bores me.
Basically, Gary and I come up with concepts for what we'd like to do and he
puts them into action. I mean we're both involved, but his organizational
skills and attention to details are great. Other than with my music, that's
just something I've never been good at.
Gary: We both have areas that we excel in. We just handle the area of the
business that we feel most comfortable with.
Brian: So it comes down to teamwork
Gary: Exactly
Justin: Yes, it always has.
Brian: Now for JCS.com. This is an internet service provider is that
correct?
Gary: Yes, it's a broad band only distributor. There are no modem dial
ups. We deal strictly with DSL, cable and satellite technology. If you
want to be successful in the area of technology, you have to be on the
cutting edge or you are yesterday news.
Brian: I understand that it will be a publicly held company shortly?
Justin: No, we discussed it, but it won't be happening.
Brian: Why not? I would think it would be ever entrepreneur's dream to
have one of their companies go public.
Gary: It has its drawbacks. Publicly held companies have to answer to a
Board of Directors. The decision making would no longer be up to us. That
wasn't what we wanted. This company is too important to us.
Brian: I understand there is a story behind the name?
Justin: There sure is. The initials are from our brothers' first names,
Jonathan, Chase and Stephen. A portion of the profits from JCS.com go into
a trust fund for each brother. Let's just say, they'll never have to worry
about paying for college.
Brian: JCS.com is a highly successful company. I don't think they'll have
to worry about anything.
Gary: Oh, we made sure there were some restrictions. This money is for
their future.
Brian: What about your other companies? I understand a portion of those
profits go to charity.
Justin: Yes, the Justin Timberlake Foundation receives 10% of the profits
from each company. Originally it was dedicated to helping music programs
in public schools, but when I married Gary we broadened it to include all
aspects of performing arts. Now the money also goes into programs that
educate young people who are interested in working behind the scenes.
Cameramen, video and sound editors. Things like that.
Brian: The guys of NSYNC and you and Gary personally have always been very
supportive of charitable organizations.
Justin: We've always felt very strongly about giving something back. We
were very fortunate when we were starting out to have friends and families
that were so supportive. There are a lot of kids out there who just need
an avenue that focuses their energy and talent. Hopefully, the programs we
support allows them to do that.
Gary: We're very selective when it comes to which programs we'll support.
We don't want the funds to be tied up in administrative costs. We want the
money to be spent on the kids.
Brian: So, you're actually familiar with how these programs are run?
Justin: Definitely, we're actively involved. We don't just sign checks.
Brian: Any success stories?
Gary: Since most of these programs are geared toward school age students,
we added some incentives for academic achievements. Currently, I think
about 90% of the kids that have been in one of our programs have graduated
from high school with a "C" average or better, so they are all a success
story.
Brian: What kind of incentives are we talking about?
Justin: Money, scholarships, even some record deals, but they gotta earn
it. The entertainment business is not as glamorous as it seems. You have
to work your ass off to make it. The kids that benefit most from our
programs have learned that.
Brian: So, you've had some sign record deals?
Gary: Several have signed developmental deals with various labels.
Justin: We have one guy that just signed on with JC's label and his album
will be released next month. We are really excited about that.
Brian: Speaking of JC, we haven't had a chance to talk about the rest of
NSYNC. I understand you guys are working on your sixth album, so when we
come back from the break, can you tell us something about it and update us
and what the other guys have been doing?
Justin: Sure
Brian: Okay, let's make the sponsors happy and when we return we'll talk
about the new album and let Gary and Justin answer some questions from our
viewers.
Brian: Album number 6. What's in store for us on this one?
Justin: Well, the concept on this one is pretty different.
Brian: In what way?
Justin: It's gonna be a double album with NSYNC as a group singing 2, maybe
3, songs on the album. The rest will be comprised of solos or songs that
we sing with another member or members of the group.
Gary: What makes it even more unique is that it well be done entirely
in-house. From the album cover to the producing and mixing there will be
no outsiders, with the exception of the band.
Justin: We even have Chris and Danni's oldest son, Jarrod, playing drums on
one of the songs. He's only 12, but he is very talented.
Gary: You blew it J. Chris hasn't told him yet that we're gonna use him.
Justin: Aaah, sorry Chris. Hey Jerrod, if you're watching, you got the job
buddy. He'd rather hear it from me anyway. I'm his favorite uncle.
Brian: Speaking of Chris, how many boys does he have now?
Gary: As if being married to Chris wasn't bad enough Danni had to have
sons. They have 3 boys, Jarrod who is almost 13, Darren is 9 and Blake is
3, but they are expecting a little girl any day now.
Justin: Thank God it's a girl. I think Danni is overwhelmed with the
testosterone in that house. Those 3 boys are all boy, but damn they are
well behaved.
Gary: Danni doesn't play. When she talks, those boys listen.
Brian: What about the other guys?
Gary: Well, after the world's longest engagement..
Justin: .....and about 5 breakups
Gary: Joey and Britney finally tied the knot about 5 years ago. They have
a beautiful little girl, Samantha Lynn.
Justin: She looks just like Brit. The resemblance is uncanny.
Brian: I think the big surprise was Lance and Allyssa being together for 12
years and never marrying.
Gary: Yeah, we all kinda thought they would settle down and live happily
ever after, but they are on the go constantly. I think we see more of
Lance than Alyssa does, but it works for them and they're very happy.
Brian: Well, that leaves JC and Danny.
Justin: Disgustingly happy! And totally supportive of each others' career.
I think everyone kinda wondered how they would do when Danny's acting
career took off, but JC is his biggest fan. He's really proud of all that
Danny has accomplished.
Gary: He'll be involved with the new album too. He's gonna produce several
of the songs. It was a hidden talent of his that we are putting to good
use.
Brain: And they have a son right? About 10 years old?
Justin: Yes, they adopted Ryan about a year ago, about the same time...
Gary: About the time we got Kyle and Mandi.
Brian: Those were your foster childern, right?
Gary: Yes, they were with us for about 6 months. When we got them Mandi
was 11 months old and Kyle had just turned 3.
Justin: We were days away from the adoption being final when their natural
parents decided they wanted another chance. Unbelievably, the courts saw
them as fit parents and Mandi and Kyle were taken from us.
Gary: Justin, don't !
Justin: I'm okay. I'm not gonna say anything that isn't public record.
When Mandi was born they found traces of cocaine in her blood, so both she
and Kyle were placed in a foster home. 3 months later, after re-hab, their
"drug-free" parents got them back. It lasted about 8 months until they
were charged with neglect. That's when the kids came to us.
Brian: But the parents got them back.
Justin: Yep, a couple of parenting classes solves everything in the eyes of
the court. Mandi was too young to understand, but Kyle was hysterical when
they took him from us that day. I don't understand how anyone can do that
to a child.
Gary: It's been hard to recover from.
Brian: I can imagine. Have you considered other foster children?
Justin: No! Absolutely not! We're not going through that again.
Gary: Down the road we might change our minds, but all of this just
happened, so the wound is pretty fresh.
Justin: We won't change our minds!
Brian: Uumm, we've only got 15 minutes left and we promised everyone that
you guys would answer some viewer questions. How about we take a quick
break and get to those questions when we come back?
The red light went off on the camera and Brian sat back in his chair
running his fingers through his hair.
"Justin, I'm sorry" he said sincerely.
There we no reply.
You unclipped the microphone from your shirt, then quickly removed Justin's
and turned to Brian.
"Give us a minute."
Brian nodded.
You took Justin by the hand and pulled him from the chair. You hastily led
him to a small storage room that housed old video footage.
"You've got to pull it together Justin. Only 15 more minutes and we're out
of here."
"Maybe I'm fucking tired of `pulling it together'. Maybe I just want to be
pissed off and tell everyone how I feel."
"That's not gonna help. It's not gonna bring them back."
Justin exploded. "How can you be so god damn calm? It's like you don't
give a shit what happens to those kids. Don't you remember what they
looked like when they first came to us? Don't you remember what is was
like to bring them into our bedroom early in the morning and just let them
curl up with us? Don't you remember anything?"
"I remember plenty! you yelled. I remember very clearly that social
working pulling Kyle out of my arms screaming when they were taking him
back to his parents! You aren't the only fucking person that's hurting!
Immediately, Justin's disposition changed. "Gary, I'm so sorry. I know
you're hurting too. It just gets to me sometimes.
Brian's voice could be heard in the hall. "Guys, we're live in 30
seconds."
You put your arm around his waist and headed back into the studio.
"I know Justin. It gets to a lot of people."
Within seconds the microphones were reattached and the cameraman's fingers
counted down the last 5 seconds.
Brian: Gary, Justin, how about we get to those questions?
Gary: Sure.
Justin: No problem, and for the record, its still boxer/briefs.
Brian: Thanks for sharing that Justin.
Justin: Ya know, the older I get, the less that question gets asked.
Gary: There's a reason for that J!
Brian: Okay, the first question is from Amy in Sarasota. Gary, what is
your favorite song that Justin has recorded?
Gary: Wow, there are so many, but at the top of the list would have to be
No More Secrets. It was the ultimate love song and obviously meant so much
to all of us. My next favorite is probably the re-make of a LeAnn Rimes
song off of his first solo album, How Do I Live. His range was perfect for
that song.
Brian: Justin, the next one is for you, from Mark in Toronto. You have two
younger brothers. Would you encourage them to go into show business?
Justin: I don't think I would use the word "encourage", but I'd certainly
be supportive. Actually Jonathan is in the business and Stephen has shown
an interest as well, so I think the Timberlake name will be around for a
while.
Brian: Any plans to record together?
Justin: No, not now. He's very concerned about being viewed as "Justin's
little brother" so we're shying away from any joint projects. He wants to
do this on his own and I can understand that. Someday though, I'd love to.
Brian: This one is from Christina in Portland and she asks if you will be
touring again and if so, when?
Justin: If you are talking about 30 cities in 40 days, then no, we're done
with that. When the album comes out we plan on hitting about 10 to 15
major US cities for concerts, but they won't be one right after another.
There'll be some time off in between. Let's face it, Chris is an old man.
He needs his recovery time.
Gary: You're gonna hear about that one, Justin.
Justin: Nah, he probably doesn't have his hearing aid turned on. He won't
hear me.
Brian: Justin, it seems like we have a surprise in store for you.
Justin: Great! I love surprises.
Brian: That could change.
Brian: Go ahead, put him on the speaker.
Chris: Listen you little shit, my recovery time is just as good as it used
to be!
Justin: Chris! Hey, how are you man?
Chris: Doing a lot better than you're gonna be when I get my hands on your
ass.
Gary: This goes on constantly. Some things never change.
Justin: Chris, is Jarrod watching?
Chris: Yeah, and you have Danni to answer to for that one. He already
started with "If I'm gonna be recording, I'll need a better drum set." Do
you know how much those things cost?
Gary: You're loaded. Buy him one.
Chris: Very funny, Gary. Hey, I have to go. Darren is terrorizing Blake
and Danni isn't here to play referee.
Justin: Okay man. Take care.
Gary: Give Danni and the boys our love.
Chris: Will do. Bye.
Brian: Let me guess who the disciplinarian is in that family.
Gary: That's a given, but Chris takes his parenting very seriously. He's a
lot stricter than you would imagine.
Brian: I guess I've just never seen that side of him.
Justin: Most people haven't. He keeps it well hidden.
Brian: Guys, I want to thank you both so much for taking the time to be
with us tonight. I've really enjoyed having you.
Gary: Thank you.
Justin: It was our pleasure.
Brian: That's all the time we have for tonight. I'm Brian McFayden and
please join me next week for another edition of E!
Justin unhooked his mic and hugged Brian.
"Sorry about earlier. I'm not handling this whole situation very well."
Brian felt bad for his long time friend. He knew Justin had always wanted
a family.
"I don't think any of us expect you to. Just take it one day at a time.
You have my number if you need me."
Justin nodded. "Thanks, Bri."
Will be Continued....